TORONTO, May 25, 2009 -- York University will receive $70 million to build a new academic building at its Keele campus, dedicated to the Life Sciences. The funding, under the Federal-Provincial Knowledge Infrastructure Program, was announced today by Mario Sergio, MPP for York West, and Reza Moridi, MPP for Richmond Hill and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, joined by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri.
“Investing in the skills and knowledge of Ontarians is a cornerstone of our government’s plan to strengthen the economy,” said Sergio. “By investing in York University today, the Ontario government is supporting new construction and renovation projects which will create construction jobs in the short term and provide more opportunities for our students to develop the skills they need for the jobs of the future.”
Moridi agreed the project will provide economic benefits in two ways: "By investing in new, modern places to learn at York University, and at universities and colleges across Ontario, we are strengthening our economy by creating construction jobs in the short term and by helping students get the high-quality education they need to succeed in the future.”
The new Life Sciences Building will provide extra academic space that will enable the university to create new opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers in high demand disciplines such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry and kinesiology. The creation of this critically needed facility will enable York to accommodate the growing demand for health and life science training in the Greater Toronto Area and in York region, and create capacity for both basic and applied research to support the knowledge economy.
The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is part of an economic stimulus package announced by the federal government in late January.
“Our government’s investment provides significant short-term economic stimulus in local communities throughout Ontario, while at the same time strengthening Canada’s long-term capacity for research and innovation,” said Federal Minister of Industry Tony Clement. “The renewal of college and university facilities will encourage more world-class researchers to work in Canada and give them the tools they need to make further discoveries that will benefit Canadians and people around the world.”
Work on the new project at York will commence immediately, with site work starting by August 2009.
“I am absolutely delighted that the federal and provincial governments have come together to support this exciting new venture at York,” said Shoukri. “The expansion of our Life Sciences programs is a key part of our vision to make York a more comprehensive university for the benefit of our students and of the community as a whole.”
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as more than 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 26 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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Media Contact:
Alex Bilyk, Director, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 5603 / bilyk@yorku.ca
